awashlogs | April Catchall

Entry tags:

April Catchall

Who: Caramia + Lots of People
Where: Not Kansas
When: Rest of April.
What: Event stuff and probably some other unrelated junk
Warnings: Drowning, anxiety, and a very, very scared lion man. Nothing aside from that yet tho.

Threads are below! HMU @

rubiesriot if you want something plotted out for April!
Probably should've made this along with my quest threads and just updated that but haha [shrug emoji]

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[ It hadn't exactly been the best week. Between fighting ogres, breaking his arm, and dealing with the fact two of his friends were completely colorless, it was hard to find a reason to be optimistic about anything. This coming from Mr. Sunshine and Optimism himself, too. So, imagine his surprise when he came home to his formerly-gray housemate... now in color again.

It didn't matter what Henry was doing at the time, he'd immediately get a relieved hug out of Caramia. Warm, yet almost like he was trying to scoop him up. Protective might been the best word. There probably should've been questions like how this happened and how he felt and, hell, even if he was back to his usual self, but all Caramia uttered in the moment was: ]

You're back...!!

[Uh. Okay?

This is not the kind of behavior he'd been expecting from anybody, though perhaps his weirdo housemate would be the prime candidate for it, come to think of it. But as it is, he's surprised enough that he only lets out an exaggerated ooooof and just stands there for a few moments, before he slowly, tentatively, as if waiting for it to be a trick--

Actually hugs Caramia back.

He's just as hesitant when he extricates himself, but hey, it's progress.]

Where'd I go?

[ It did take Caramia a moment before he was ready to let go of Henry, anyway. Let the man be relieved. ]

Doesn't matter. [ Well, it kind of did, but he'd bring that up later. ] You're here now! All of your color back! [ He gave a quick look around Henry to make sure that were true, then gave a smile. ] You... you feel okay?

[All this concern and worry from people ever since he's recovered is weird. Henry has no idea what to do with it. He doesn't dislike it, he just... doesn't know how to respond.]

Uh... yeah. Sure do. Weird, huh?

Not nearly as weird as it was having you gray and deadpan, Henry. [ Which was his way of politely say "Yeah, you are weird, but that's okay." Admittedly, he was a little glad he didn't have to go back out into the forest to figure out what happened to him so he could fix it... ]

Did it just... come back? Did you do something? [ He wondered if the same happened for Akechi? ]

[Wow rude!!! But also true.]

Naw, I just waited for a bit and it just came back all on its own, I guess.

[So it's fine! He's fine.

Except he still doesn't know what exactly happened or why except that he really, really didn't like that deadened feeling--even thinking about it still unnerves him, and he doesn't like that either. He doesn't like feeling off kilter or scared.

And people keep bringing it up which just reminds him all over again and he'd much rather have bad feelings just go away so he doesn't have to think about them. So maybe if he acts like he usually does they'll all stop asking him about it.]

[ Look, I said it was the nice way of saying it! ]

That's good.

[ Well, not really, but, whatever. He got his color back now and that's really all that mattered. He saw the slight disconcerting shift in Henry and... he honestly couldn't tell if it was because he was smothering him, or because he was genuinely upset about what happened. Caramia was going to bet the latter, and completely disregarded the first as an option, and in true lion fashion, he bumped his head gently to the top of Henry's. ]

Hey don't worry... I won't let anything like that happen to you again.

Edited 2018-04-29 03:06 (UTC)

[It might seem strange, but Henry actually reacts to the head-bump better than the hug, like he actually knows the proper response this time. He leans into it a little, and when he pulls back it's not out of uncertainty, though there's obvious astonishment on his face.

He just isn't used to this from people.]

You won't?

[He wants to ask how. To be honest, Caramia doesn't come off as someone particularly intimidating. But what comes out instead is:]

Why?

[ Admittedly, it's a bit strange, but not unwelcome. It's rare a person responds to this beyond giving him strange looks or, in Kyrie's case, threatening him. ]

Wh...? [ Why? What an odd question. Wasn't it obvious? ] Well, you've been nothing but understanding since I've known you. It's hard to tell how you're feeling sometimes, but I still feel comfortable around you. [ Even if he did bring skeletons into the house. ]

Ah, I guess, in less words... you're important to me?

Really? Huh.

[If he sounds like he doesn't get it, that's because he kinda doesn't. This isn't something that anyone in his life has ever said to him in words. It's something that he'd thought was maybe inherently different about him, honestly, the way he's never quite fit in with people the way everyone else does.

It's weird. But it's not bad. In fact, it's kind of nice.]

I mean, thanks. I guess you're pretty important, too.

[That's how it works, right?]

Ah, seriously? I was afraid you didn't like me or something. [ What with the whole dismissive or indifferent responses-- kind of like this one, actually. Though, Caramia's beginning to think that's just how Henry is. After all, if he were really indifferent, he's pretty sure there'd be a much worse reaction to Caramia's affection. Something more akin to what Shiho or Kyrie did, probably. ]

You have to promise you won't go off doing anything reckless now, okay? [ That was Caramia's job, after all. ]

Aw, 'course I like you. You're nice.

[His expression is genuinely confused, like he doesn't know what he might have done to give Caramia that impression. He's been cheerful and friendly the whole time they've been living in the same house, hasn't he? That's what people do when they like each other, right?]

Did I do something wrong? 'Cause, sorry. [It's suddenly really important to him that Caramia understands Henry likes him just fine.]

Hey now, don't go apologizing for something when you don't even know what you're apologizing for. And it's fine, really, you don't even need to apologize. There was just the...

[ He cleared his throat. ] The thing with the rain that one time, but... [ That's mostly on Caramia for being a baby about water, and he knew that much. ]

All misunderstandings, it's okay. You haven't done anything wrong.

[Henry actually frowns at that.]

I was trying to help you be less scared of it. Didn't it work?

Generally, forcing someone to do something they're afraid of on terms that aren't their own will cause trauma not recovery. And I'm not scared of it, I just don't like it.

[ He muttered that last part, you know, because he has to hold onto his pride a bit. ]

It wasn't exactly fun, though, no.

Oh. Really? [He scratches his head, like this is news.]

Okay. I won't do that then. What should I do instead? You can't just be scared of water, that's just silly! What if you get thirsty?

[Yeah, apparently he hadn't heard Caramia's addendum.]

Usually, yes. So just be careful about doing that kind of thing, okay? [ Not that he thought Henry was going to do something like that again, but with all these odd questions he was asking, one couldn't be too sure... ]

Ah, nothing, nothing, I'm okay. I can drink it just fine and I can bathe myself when I need to, I just don't like it. It... makes my skin crawl...

[Henry realizes, suddenly, that he wants to do something for Caramia. There's a lot he hasn't really understood about this whole conversation, but he does know that Caramia likes him and wants to help him, for some reason--and Henry likes Caramia, too, and so he wants to do something in return.

He's pretty sure that's how friendship works. Right?]

Hey. [His voice comes out bright, maybe a little too eager. There might even be a note of desperation in it.] Hey, can I try again? Please? I promise I won't do anything weird this time. I want to help.

[ "Skeptical" didn't begin to describe Caramia's feelings, but... how could he say no to that? Henry had his heart in the right place, after all. Sigh. ]

Okay, okay. [ He hoped he wouldn't regret that. ] Just be careful, okay?

[Henry's always smiling, but right now it's extra wide.]

Yeah, 'course. A little curse or two never hurt anybody. [Permanently. Usually.] I'll get you all sorted out real quick.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that what curses are meant to do?

[ Couldn't he just call it "magic" or something? He was already starting to get nervous about this. ]

Nahhhh! Curses can do all sorts of things.

[Tons of useful things! Plegian mages use 'em all the time.]

It's just 'cause it's not elemental magic. It's super safe, promise. [Ish.]

[ Doubtful, but okay. ]

If you're sure. I'm trusting you.

[ Whether that was a good idea or not was... debatable. But it'd make Henry happy. And he decided that if the worst Henry could do was make him walk out in the rain for hours than there could be worse things to make people happy, really. ]

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April Catchall

Henry | (after he gets his color)

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I'm sorry he's like this, Henry

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